Description and Proposed Operation of the Fuel Cycle Facility for the Second Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-II)

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4675689· OSTI ID:4675689

Hesson, J. C. ^[1]; Feldman, M. J. ^[1]; Burris, L. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

The Fuel Cycle Facility for the Second Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR- II), the process equipment, and the operations to be conducted in the facility are described. The Fuel Cycle Facility is a plant for reprocessing, by pyrometallurgical methods, the core and blanket material discharged from EBR-II. The reactor core alloy is uranium-5 percent fissium and contains about 46 w/o uranium-235. The blanket material consists of uranium-238 in which plutonium is bred. Core and blanket subassemblies contained in transfer coffins are transferred between EBR- II and the Fuel Cycle Facility, which is in an adjacent building. The Fuel Cycle Facility consists primarily of an argon-atmosphere cell where fuel processing is done, an adjacent air-atmosphere cell where reactor subassemblies are assembled and disassembled, and an operating area (for personnel) which surrounds the two cells. Because of the high levels of activity expected, the fuel-handling-and-processing equipment is designed for remote operation. Remote processing is accomplished with the aid of bridge cranes, electromagnetic bridge manipulators, and master-slave manipulators. Transfer ports and air locks are used in the transfer of materials and equipment into the air-atmosphere cell and between the two cells. The walls between the argon-atmosphere and air-atmosphere cells and the operating area are heavily shielded, and viewing is done through thick shielding windows. Operations may be described in general terms as including disassembly of reactor subassemblies and their constituent fuel elements, fuel purification, refabrication of fuel elements, and reassembly of the reactor core subassemblies for reloading into the reactor. Specific operations are: fuel transfer, sodium removal from the fuel subassembly, fuel-element decanning, chopping of fuel pins, melt refining, oxidation of skull material retained in melt refining crucibles, injection casting of fuel pins, final pin fabrication, canning of fuel pins, detection of leaks in canned fuel pins, sodium bonding and bond testing, fuel-element inspection, and assembly into fuel subassemblies. Topics covered are: auxiliary and alternative EBR-II fuel-cycle processes including skull reclamation, blanket, and other liquid metal processes; the physical metallurgy of uranium-fissium alloys; fuel movement and storage; sampling and analysis of fuel and waste, preparation, handling, and storage of feed materials for the processes; and preparation, handling and storage of liquid, solid, and gaseous radioactive wastes. Special problems of criticality, accountability, radiation shielding, disposal of scrap fuel and unrecoverable fuel, and nitridation of fuel are also discussed.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-17-031721
• OSTI ID: 4675689
• Report Number(s): ANL-6605
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
42 ENGINEERING
AIR
ARGON
BERYLLIUM MODERATOR
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BLANKETS
BONDING
BREEDING
BUILDINGS
CANNING
CLEANING
CRITICALITY
EBOR
EBR-2
FABRICATION
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAS COOLANT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IMPURITIES
INSPECTION
LEAK DETECTORS
LIQUIDS
MATERIALS TESTING
METALLURGY
METALS
MOTION
OPERATION
PERSONNEL
PLUTONIUM
POWER PLANTS
PREPARATION
PYROLYSIS
PYROMETALLURGY
RADIOACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
REFINING
REMOTE HANDLING
REPROCESSING
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFETY
SAMPLING
SHIELDING
SHIPS
SODIUM
STEAM
STORAGE
TESTING
TURBINES
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ALLOYS
USES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WI
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Fuel Elements
Uranium-235
Uranium-238
Fuel Pins
Reactor Core